Once upon a time, the foreign exchange (FX) markets enjoyed a clear framework for trading and were seen as a reflection of the health of global economies. But as central bank programs of quantitative easing have been introduced, currency market trades are not so clear cut, according to analysts at HSBC.

Eric Viloria, Senior Currency Strategist, FOREX.COM believes Spain will likely ask for aid, but would want to gain maximum leverage on negotiations in order to not find itself in a disadvantageous position.

Sean Callow, Senior Currency Strategist, Westpac Bank thinks that although the euro is trading at about 1.28 now, it could weaken to 1.20 to the greenback in 2013. This is because weakness in euro zone economies is likely to persist.

Thanks to several rounds of cost cutting and new product launches, cash balances across the pharma sector are increasing — because one analyst said we should see more cash being returned to shareholders via dividend.